 Botwright has had an incredible run of success in Manchester |
Home favourite Vicky Botwright gave world number one Nicol David a scare before losing the World Open Squash Championship final in Manchester. Botwright, playing in her last match before retirement, stunned the Malaysian by winning the first game. But David fought back and, after a rollercoaster fourth game, eventually beat the 11th seed 5-11 11-1 11-6 11-9 to win the title for a third time. "It's been a fantastic week - the crowd were fantastic," said Botwright, 31. "When they started shouting as I went onto court, I felt a bit emotional. But I am definitely not going to play on the Tour anymore," Botwright confirmed. David, who also won the British Open in May and has now won the World Open title three times, praised Botwright's tenacity. "Every shot she played, every drive she made, was so tight," she said. "Credit to her, she's done so well to get to the final. I had to fight, but to win is such a great feeling." There was a new champion in the men's event when Ramy Ashour, who won the Super Series title here last year, succeeded his Egyptian compatriot Amr Shabana. The 21-year-old, who eliminated the top-seeded title holder in the semi-finals, overcame another Egyptian, Karim Darwish, 5-11 11-8 11-4 11-5. Ashour became the first player to emulate Jansher Khan, the Pakistan legend of the eighties and nineties, in having won both the world junior and world senior titles. "To be in the same category as Jansher is a huge thing," Ashour said.
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